Adam Smith

Tottenham's slow starts and Harry Kane's barren Augusts

Could Harry Kane finally break his August hoodoo?

Tottenham kick off their new campaign at Newcastle live on Sky Sports this Saturday and Mauricio Pochettino's side will be hoping to buck a four-year trend of poor starts.

Indeed, World Cup Golden Boot winner and club talisman Harry Kane has made 13 Premier League appearances in August - but never scored a single goal.

Since 2012, Kane has had a comparatively torrid run of goalscoring form all the way through to his most prolific month in December - netting below-average totals of nine in September, five in October and 11 in November.

It takes Harry Kane four months to hit peak goalscoring form

Similarly, Tottenham have struggled most during August since Pochettino took the helm in May 2014, averaging a season-low 1.4 points per game.

Despite typically hitting a purple patch in September, Spurs also struggle in October (1.5 points per game) and November (1.7 points per game) - a stark contrast to their season-topping 2.3 per game in March.

Spurs slump in August but soar in March

Pochettino's men take until December to consistently average at two or more points per game - which, coincidentally, is Kane's most prolific month (17 goals).

Spurs also have a habit of capitulating in the season-closing month of May (1.6 points per game) and would have won the league instead of Leicester in 2015/16 - if they had not dropped 12 points during August and May.

Tottenham were just seven points adrift of Chelsea in 2016/17

And the London club would have retained the crown and ousted Chelsea the following season - if they had not dropped eight points during those two bogey months.

However, Spurs may have missed their best chances at winning the trophy, having finished 23 points behind runaway winners Manchester City last term - the same margin Spurs trailed champions Chelsea in 2014/15.

But with two titles spurned from habitual slow starts, Pochettino will be hoping his side burst from the blocks this time around at St James' Park, while Kane will aim to break his August hoodoo.

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